In an interview with Italian newspaper Il Giornale, legendary Inter defender and former club captain Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Bergomi spoke on a range of topics and started by discussing his personal battle with Coronavirus.
“In early March I was not well, but I was not particularly worried because I had other symptoms such as back pain and cold, not those that would suggest that I had contracted Coronavirus,” he began the interview which appeared in yesterday’s print edition.
“I decided to take the serological test to find out if I had contracted it and the tests showed that I had the antibodies.”
He was then asked about the race for the Serie A title and whether it is just solely a race between Juventus and Lazio, who are separated by just a single point at the top of the table.
“It is difficult to make a prediction as there is no precedent to go off of. All of the players have been stationary for two months, they have not touched a ball.
“Having said that, I think that Juventus and Lazio are favourites. Inter however may be a surprise and if they start as strong as they started the season then they can have their say.”
He then spoke on the progress that Inter have made in recent seasons to getting back to the level they previously were as a club.
“Inter are on their way and perhaps the only drawback of this season was the Champions League but the team has a clear identity and if they win their game in hand with Sampdoria then they are only six points behind Juventus.
“Until football was brought to a stop, it was an exremely positive year for Inter who have relied heavily on the two strikers. This year it was necessary to consolidate the two fourth place finished obtained under Spalletti in the last two seasons.”
Bergomi proceeded to discuss Lautaro Martinez’s possible departure from Inter in the coming months with him continously being linked with a move to Spanish giants Barcelona.
“He is young and an excellent player who is growing year after year. Faced with a big money offer, if the reports are true, how could you not sell him?”
In conclusion he spoke on comparisons that have been made between former Inter captain Mauro Icardi with the man who replaced him at Inter, Romelu Lukaku.
“The value of Icardi is not up for discussions but I believe that Lukaku is better with some things such as how he makes himself availabile to the team. I like the Belgian very much and I like Icardi too. Lukaku is at the centre of the project and Inter spent a lot of money to bring him in in the Summer.”
